‘Aquaman’ Tops the DCEU Box Office

The king of the sea, the king of the DCEU

In less than a month, “Aquaman” has taken the DCEU crown. The latest installment from Warner Bros. Pictures has made over $887M at the global box office, which is more than any other DC Extended Universe film to date. James Wan directed the blockbuster for Warner Bros. Pictures. A favorite in China, the director debuted “Aquaman” in the country in early December. Aquaman’s debut in China was the first stop on what would soon become a worldwide success for the studio, a box office blockbuster that is still expected to remain at number-one this weekend.

Overseas ticket sales are the driving force behind Aquaman’s success, but he’s not ruling the charts at home. While Aquaman may have the highest worldwide gross, the movie isn’t expected to beat the other DCEU films domestically. Still, “Aquaman” is nearing the $1B mark at the global box office, which is a feat worthy of the King of Atlantis.

The other films on the DC chart include “Batman v Superman” with $873.6M; “Wonder Woman” with $821.8M; “Suicide Squad” with $746.8M; “Man of Steel” with $668M; and “Justice League” with $657.9M. It will be interesting to see if “Shazam!” or “Wonder Woman: 1984” can keep the momentum going for the DCEU throughout 2019.

“Aquaman” stars Jason Momoa in the titular role. The film also stars Amber Heard as Mera; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”); Patrick Wilson as Orm; Dolph Lundgren as Nereus; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the revenge-seeking Black Manta; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours”). Also featured in the film are Ludi Lin and Temuera Morrison.

Wan directed from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger for DC. The film was produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.